John 16:23-33: In Jesus’ Name

When our fallen flesh thinks of prayer, it merely sees it as a means to an end—a way to get what you want! And such sinful thinking is also rampant […]

Isaiah 12:1-6: Jesus is Our Salvation

The Old Testament isn’t easy to read. It has so much killing in it, people rebelling against God, and more history than most of us can handle. It’s also hard […]

Lamentations 3:22-33: Depression

Depression is a vexing condition. It’s part of that huge array of problems that have afflicted us since our first parents fell into sin. Depression is the result of a […]

1 John 5:4-10: The Spirit, the Water, and the Blood Still Testify to Us Today

In the accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, we find that each Gospel writer mentions different facts about what took place on the cross. Here’s how St. Mark describes Jesus’ death: “Jesus […]

John 20:1-18: Christ is Risen!

Christos Anesti!  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia! Our Gospel reading for today follows the story of Mary Magdalene, Mary from the town of Magdala. The Apostle John […]

Good Friday Sermon: It All Came Down to This

Comparing the Old Covenant with the New, the book of Hebrews tells us: Unlike the [Jewish] high priests, Jesus doesn’t need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his […]

John 6:51-58: Unless…

According to legend, in a time of starvation, a mother pelican may dig into the side of her chest until it bleeds to feed her chicks. And so starting from […]

John 12:12-19, 1 Maccabees 13:43-48, 51-52, Zechariah 9:9-12: The Jesus You Need

Lent began with Jesus fasting.  Immediately after He was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness to face down the devil.  During those 40 days, Jesus chose not […]

Isaiah 53:7-9: Where’s the Justice?

“Where’s the justice?” People have felt so slighted so often that we even have an experssion that has become part of our language: “Where’s the justice?” Part of it is […]

John 8:42-49: For you and because of you

For you—two words of supreme significance! Without them, a Christian veers away from Word and Sacrament, trying to find some assurance that he really is saved. He could look to […]